Fragment Of The Night
by Alan Spencer
Summary: Nine years after the end of the Holy Grail War, Emiya Shirou comes to Shin Tokyo to investigate a series of deaths that he suspects are really murders.
1. Day One: Wayward

**Fragment Of The Night**

 **{** _Wayward_ **}**

I step out of the airport.  
The sky is clear and the wind is very cool.  
It's a pleasant day.  
A shame that the reason I came here isn't pleasant at all.

Nine years.  
It has already been nine years since the end of the Fifth Holy Grail War.  
Nine years since I fought against my ideal to carry out my hope.  
It felts so distant now, those memories.  
But it could be said that it never really ended.

As I walk, I get the occasional odd looks from people.  
Its only natural.  
My left arm isn't mine anymore.  
Its covered by the Shroud Of Martin, but the discrepancy in length is clear even to a casual observer.  
… More over, the Shroud itself is an oddity.  
I'm sure that it draws more stares that the arm.

I wince.  
Its distant, but the looks make me remember that night.  
That instant.  
The moment where Gilgamesh got the better of me.  
I narrowly managed to escape my death, but lost my left arm as compensation and I was left at his mercy.

My survival was pure luck.  
Only Archer's intervention saved me from the King Of Heroes, once again.  
And he was also the one who granted to me this left arm.  
He formed a contract with Tohsaka, so he could last long enough.  
Until Tohsaka managed to find another spiritual doctor.  
Kirei had been one, but he had died.

To be honest, its a little vexing.  
Even now.  
We did it together, even though we didn't love each other.  
I couldn't use the strength Tohsaka granted to me to win.  
I had to depend on that red knight.  
It's not like I don't appreciate that he saved me, but it is vexing.

But well, its not like I can change it.  
He was always such a show off.

Anyway.  
Six people had been found dead here, in Shin Tokyo.  
None of them were clear cut cases, yet in less that a day they were filled away as accidents or some such.  
Its suspicious, no matter how I think about it.

I don't know what or who is behind it.  
A Magus.  
Or a Dead Apostle.  
I don't care.  
I only care that they are throwing lives away like trash.  
I can't let anybody get away with that.

I don't have anywhere to stay right now, but that can be taken care of later.  
I can't allow myself to rest, not when I can prevent somebody's death.

I have nothing to go on, for now.  
And since the only magic I can use doesn't help with it, is not like I can examine the bodies.  
...Not without breaking several laws myself, anyway.  
But well.  
I leave that to Tohsaka, since that's more of her thing.  
So I should investigate the area myself before calling her.

* * *

While walking through the streets, searching for any kind of lead.  
I couldn't help but observe the people around me.  
Their peaceful existences.  
Their happy existences.  
Their life, the people around them, the future they are dreaming of.  
Everything could been destroyed in an instant for nothing.

He told me to drown in my ideals and die.  
He said my life was a false life.  
Kiritsugu had once said that an Ally of Justice is only so strong.  
Archer's life taught me that, engraved it into me.

Still.  
I want to kept walking down that path.  
Even if helping people for the sake of it will with end with me in the hills of swords, I will not have any regrets.  
His end was something to be proud of.  
If that's to be my end too, it would been fine.  
I wouldn't make the contract, of course, but the point still stands.

Where I'm going with this...  
I want to save everybody, even if its out of the question.  
Looking at these people, knowing what I know, makes my stomach churn.  
I wanted to protect the false tranquillity they live in.  
I want to make that "peace" a reality.

This world is twisted.  
But as long as I'm alive, I want to do something about it.  
No matter what will I will lose as compensation.

Foolish?  
Yes, but that's fine.

* * *

Before my brain can process the scene, my body tenses.  
A woman is there.  
She's huddled on the ground, breathing heavily.  
There are no signs of wounds, but I don't care.

Its clear she's escaping from something.  
From the police or from some criminal.  
I don't know.  
All I know is that she needs help.

I run to her without even thinking about it.  
It takes me an instant to realize that, since she is escaping, me running could scare her away.  
To be fair, if her situation is truly serious, then it wouldn't matter If I ran or not.  
But still.

Before I can stop myself, the girl turns her head towards me.  
She's beautiful.  
Her beauty couldn't be called otherworldly, unlike Saber, but that doesn't change that simple fact.  
But there's a sense of unreality to her, anyway.  
Beauty like hers is something you only see in the covers of magazines.

Wait.  
I vigorously shake my head.  
What the hell I'm thinking?  
I'm stupid or what?

Of course she's beautiful, but I can't allow myself to get distracted.  
Not at at time like this.  
Man, how embarrassing.  
I should really apologize, but apologizing for seemingly not reason, out of nowhere, would only been even more embarrassing.

"Miss." I call out to her. My voice grows softer without really thinking about it. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing."

She breathes out.  
Her face is red out of exhaustion.  
She stands up on her shaky legs.

She's tall.  
Not only tall for a girl, but just plain tall.  
Standing up, her head reaches my shoulders.

"Just hurry out and get away. I dealt with this by myself."

"What are you saying, you idiot?" I let out without even thinking. "As I can leave you alone when you need help."

"Look." she winces. "I appreciate it at all, but you don't know what you're dealing with here. Just… Just run, okay?"

"I..."

Lighting strikes, drowning out my last two words.  
The shock wave itself is strong enough to send a normal human flying.  
But my body is not normal.  
Since I was here with the intention of investigating, I reinforced my body as preparation.  
So it doesn't manage to move me.

Smoke rises, clouding two figures.  
Rumble goes flying.  
I tense, watching the smoke dissipate.  
I don't project anything.  
I have to ascertain the situation first.  
Besides, I only need an instant.

The smoke clears.

...What the hell is this?  
I have seen many strange things, but even I think this is strange.  
The two women are wearing scandalous dresses that seem to be held by wishful thinking.

Maybe I'm dreaming.  
That thought crosses my mind like sunlight through the clouds.  
But I know I'm not.  
I would been too convenient for it to be so.  
And now that I have assimilated such a strange thing, a possibility floats thought my mind.

It makes my stomach churn.

The superior sneers on their faces don't intimidate me at all.  
I take a step forward, putting myself between them and the girl.

I'm only sure about one thing.  
Those two woman aren't human.  
At least, not fully human.  
I don't know what they are exactly, but at least I understand that.  
Maybe this girl behind isn't one, either.  
I don't know.

"What an eyesore." The woman on the left says. Her voice is disturbingly lively, despite her words. "Get out, or I'll make you. Don't even think about winging that one."

Winging?  
Doesn't matter.  
There are many things I don't understand, even with so many years under Tohsaka's care.  
I can leave that to Tohsaka.  
For now, I can only concentrate on the enemies in front of me.

"Shut up." the girl behind me yells. "Leave him out of this, all right? I'm not reacting, and, anyway, attacking him would be against the rules. You can't just do whatever you want."

That's…  
The words make my blood turn to ice.  
Two things are confirmed.  
She isn't human either.  
And this fight is part of some kind of tournament.

Pieces of the War flash through my mind.  
The students at the school, unconscious.  
Rider's with her neck twisted off.  
Archer skewered by the weapons in the Gate of Babylon.  
And… above them all, a white haired girl I couldn't save drenched in red.

The thoughts make my frozen blood boil.  
No way.  
We stopped that once, and now you're telling me something like that is happening again?  
Don't joke around.

"That's up to him." the one in the right says. "Nobody can blame for getting him out of the way, if he becomes an eyesore."

I eye the red restrain from the corner of my eye.  
I have come far since then.  
The spiritual doctor didn't do a perfect job, but I have survived it.  
I have lived with this thing for nine years, and I've become a magus that can match this arm.

That means that I won't die even if I take it off.  
Its not longer a death sentence.  
We're separated existences.  
Yet, we have reached something that could be called coexistence.

It will hurt.  
I haven't take it off even once, but I understand that implicitly.  
It will hurt so much I might go mad.  
And if I get careless, I could disappear in the maelstrom of feedback from the arm.  
But that's only if I make a mistake.

 _To be a magus is to walk with death._

That's right.  
I can't hesitate, even if I might die.  
There's only one answer.  
This arm exists to be used, and he entrusted it to me for that reason alone.

Still…

That's an undue risk.  
It won't do any good to hold back, but that doesn't mean I should just risk it all when I have no reason to do so.  
I'll probably been able to take on these two creatures using my own abilities.  
There shouldn't been any need to take off the Shroud.  
Unless I'm getting over my head.

With that in mind, I...

 **1.** Take off the Shroud.

 **2.** Fight my own fight


	2. Day One: Steel And Fire

**Author's Note**

Voting will remain open for twenty four hours. If nobody votes or if there's a tie, the voting time will be extended by another twenty four hours. If it happens twice, I will choose myself.

* * *

 **{** _Steel And Fire_ **}**

I don't even need to think about it. As I thought, is at undue risk. I can't just use the arm when I have no reason to do so. It's not that I'm afraid, but if I throw away my life like this, how can I help anybody? Unless I'm left with no choice at all, I shouldn't take off the Shroud.

" _Trace On_." I give shape to the blueprint in my mind with magical energy. On my clenched hands appears the twin steel swords, Kanshou and Bakuya. Two peerless swords a blacksmith made at the cost of his wife; the symbol Archer wielded for all his life. They had become my signature swords, too. Maybe it has something to do with the melting of minds in the war, and the output from the arm during these nine years. I don't know. But I chose them because they are the swords most suited to my fighting style, and they are strong. Even if I faced Saber, they wouldn't shatter from one or two blows.

"What… You're a Sekirei?" They look shocked. I'm kind of surprised, too. That they are just babbling information is unbelievable. The woman's eyes narrow. "No, you aren't one. I don't know what or who you are, but you aren't a Sekirei."

"Well, whatever." the other says, and laughs. "Either way, it got in our way. And maybe if we bring it to Minaka it will give us a reward."

More informations. These creatures are really careless. It might not be what I'm thinking, but there's a good chance that Hiroto Minaka, the CEO of the pharmaceutical company MBI, is the one behind this. I assumed before that these creatures had organized the tournament out of their own, but it maybe it isn't like that, and the only person with the power to organize such a thing would be him. Moreover… if he did so, it would explain the technological and medical advances of MBI, and the pace of them. Maybe its a big leap of logic, but the pieces fit.

I eye the woman behind me from the corner of my eye. What's right and what's wrong. Existing isnt a crime by itself. I can't judge anybody because they aren't human; I have to look at their actions first. This one seems like she doesn't want to fight. She even tried to get me out of the way, believing that I was helpless. She has a good heart. So… I have to protect her.

They each raised one hand. Lightning crackles, and builds up in those hands. The force that they are used would kill a normal human outright; I can tell that just by looking. I felt my eyes narrowing. I clench my hands more tightly. There's no need to play it safe. The woman being is definitively one of them, so I don't have to protect her from the stray blasts not drive these twins away. I kick the ground, and rush towards them.

It only takes them an instant for them to react, but by then I already crossed half the distance. Five meters. Concentrated lighting comes for me. It's fast, but not so fast, and their aiming is not very accurate. I easily sidestep it, and then jump forward. I don't know the range of the explosion, so maybe I overcompensated. But I don't care. As I move out of the way, I charge the blades with as much energy as I can cram in in so short of a time, and I throw them. Targeting the enemy's neck.

I'm already in front of them. They don't have any time to react. Their movements are fast, but their speed can't match a Servant. Moreover, their movements as they try to escape clearly tell me that they are amateurs. That they are used to relay on their powers to win their battles, and don't have a scrap of skill. This won't be hard.

I project another pair of Kanshou and Bakuya in an instant, and swing them down in an across towards the other enemy. I miss. Narrowly, but it's still a miss. The blades bury themselves on her left shoulder, not her neck. Her scream of pain rings in my ears. With all my strength, I push the swords out of the wound. She screams again.

I kick her in the face, turn and raise the swords just in time. The lighting hits the swords, and… my mind goes white. I felt my body shaking, but in a back on my mind sort of way. My vision recovers. A blur is coming towards me. I take a step back. Its like I'm disconnected from my body. A foot hits my legs, and I crumble to the ground.

A gasp.

I shake my head to gather myself. The Kanshou and Bakuya that I threw at the creature in front of me are coming back. Even to my enhanced vision, they are little more that white and black blurs. One cuts the side of her neck, nearly cutting him off. The other… Bakuya hits her knee so hard it comes out of the other side. She crumples to the ground, moaning in pain.

"Sis!" the panicked shout comes from behind me.

I know what I have to do. Without really thinking, I turn around and grab her throat. I squeeze it, and smash her against the ground with all my strength. I put the tip of Kanshou against her throat. She looks up at me with half-closed eyes filled with hatred, her teeth gritting. I felt the lighting start to gather on her clenched hands.

Before I even know it, I stab her through the throat. The energy dissipates and dies out. She opens her mouth, filled with blood. Chocking noises and weak gasps fills the desolate, out of the way space. Even we had been close to the streets, the noises wouldn't have been heard. That thought makes me felt sick… but this is, without a doubt, reality wrought by my own hands. And, without a doubt, this creature had been in the wrong. All that I saw them do and say told the whole story. I remember the shout from behind me, and my heart clenches around my chest. I know I wasn't in the wrong, but still...

A scream of pure rage. An instant later, before I can do anything, something slams into me. Even taken by surprise, I stand my ground and swing the swords towards the remaining enemy. She ducks her head low, managing to avoid it. I take a step back. Her hands go up and clench around my throat. I kick her with all my strength, right in the stomach. She doesn't move even an inch.

The lighting spreads all over my body, rattling me. I fall down. The creature lets herself fall, and straddles me. She squeezes my throat even tighter. The intensity of the lighting increases. I slowly raise Kanshou with my shaking left hand. I can do this. I just have to steady my aim and stab her through the heart. She's attacking in blind rage, so it shouldn't been hard.

A flash. The thing on the top of me goes flying without making a noise. I force myself to my knees, still feeling the after-effects of the electricity. I cough, and turn my head. I see a yellow star on pink and violet shirt. Oh. So it had been that one, of course. I felt an arm around my shoulder, and then I'm lifted from the ground.

"Thanks." I mumble, my voice rougher that usual. It makes me sound like him. I turn towards her, and…

Her face is dangerously close to mine. Her face and her body. Her breasts are pressing against my chest, but she doesn't seem to care. She's breathing even more heavily that before, and flushing so hard she looks sick. Her body is trembling lightly. I can her heart beating, and it worries me even more. It's fast, perhaps far too fast. It's like her body is going into overdrive. I don't understand it. Maybe is something that has to do with their biology, but… I have a sense of unease. Those eyes. She looks like she wants to...

I…

 **1.** Can't let my guard down. She's acting far too strange.

 **2.** Have to help her.


	3. Interlude: Bloodstained Hands

**Author's Note**

I was going to ignore the votes of kira09, Guest and warrior of six blades, since they voted out of the twenty four hour's period, but well. Since this is a interlude, I will extend the voting time of the last choice for another twenty four hour's.

* * *

 **{** _Interlude:_ _Bloodstained Hands_ **}**

Hibiki had managed to escape. While Uzume and that thing, whatever it was, were distracted with each other, she had managed to pick her sister and escape with her. Listening to her desperate gasps of pain as she struggled to get them both to a safe place, and place where she would get healed and everything would be all right once again, was terrifying. She felt like she could snap at any instant. Maybe… maybe she had already snapped.

Her mind was bleached white. Her body kept moving forward because they might find them and put things beyond recovery, but she was walking from nowhere to nowhere. There wasn't any place in which she could take Hikari. There was no use in trying to kept that fact to herself. MBI didn't care. Their hospital services were merely to defeated Sekirei, but with her sister's wound, she was going to be the first level five of the plan and nobody would do a damn thing to stop it, no matter how much she cried and screamed. Going to a normal hospital was just plain unthinkable, and Seo couldn't fix such a wound, even if he could get here before her sister would bleed to death. Yet she kept pushing on, even though Hikari couldn't go on for much longer. Because things couldn't end this way.

This was a mistake. Definitively, it was mistake. This couldn't be real. There was just no way this was real. Her sister was going to die, right in front of her eyes, without her being capable of doing anything about it, so suddenly and for reasons she couldn't understand? Don't joke around. This was a nightmare. Things just didn't happen like this. If this was reality, she would prefer to die right here.

Hibiki stopped. She put her sister against a wall. Her eyes were hazy and unfocused. Her spasms were getting weaker by the instinct, and soon would stop completely. Humans and Sekirei were similar enough, biologically, so all their prowess didn't matter in the end. A wound like that wasn't something that could be escaped from. She wasn't even looking at her anymore; she wasn't dead yet, but as how things were, she might as well be an empty doll already. Hibiki dropped to her knees in front of her.

"What do I do?" Hibiki let out, in the verge of tears. It wasn't a question. It was nothing more that a desperate plead. Her hands were tied, and she knew it, but there had to been something. Something. Something to save her and make things right. She had lived with her sister since she had any conscious of herself, so a life without her was unthinkable.

Hibiki watched, eyes wide, as Hikari raised a trembling hand towards her. She clasped it with both hands.

"What is it?" she choked out, vision blurry, tears streaming down her face. They were sisters. They were supposed to protect each other, but she hadn't been able to do that. Now, because she was dying, she was supposed to put a strong front and tell her everything would be all right so she could rest easy in her last moments, but she couldn't even do that. She was a failure as a sister.

Hikari opened her blood filled mouth, and mouthed. She didn't pay any attempt ion to the blood that spilled down her mouth, and trailed down her chin. Hibiki's eyes were fixed on her sister's glassy stare, and thought it all was a horrible sight, she found herself incapable of looking away.

 _'I love you'_

That was clearly what she had mouthed. She didn't even have the strength to talk, and her last action would be trying to comfort her. Damn, damn, damn… she felt her sister's hand go limp, and saw her body do likewise. Her dead eyes remained open, staring up at the distant sky.

Hibiki spend a long time there, frozen, neither dead or alive, staring at her sister's corpse. She didn't think about anything. Hate, anger and pain boiled inside of her, but only in a back of her mind sort of way. She could barely process what was happening, even now. She felt so empty that it was like she had already died. After some time, she gripped her sister's cold hand so tightly her knuckles turned white. She left her hand go, and stood up.

That face. Bright golden eyes, messy red hair. And that shroud in his left arm. She couldn't never forget the face and appearance of that person. She wanted to kill him. To take him and make him suffer just as much as her sister had suffered, and then kill him. She couldn't do so right now. She knew she was outmatched but, eventually, she would. She would get her revenge.

And then she would go ahead and join her sister.


	4. Day One: Ideal

**{** _Ideal_ **}**

What I'm standing around here for? She looks like she could fall over at any second, and I'm here, jumping at shadows. I don't what her intentions are, but she needs my help. I can't turn anybody away. Turning somebody who needs help away means betraying myself, and betraying my father, and betraying the trust Archer put in me. And besides, helping people is my nature. So I have to do it.

"Hey." I say. She's unresponsive still, and with her eyes fixed on me. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

What should I do? I don't have training in mundane healing, and healing magic is also beyond me. Any magic except for Unlimited Blade Works is beyond me. Reinforcement and projection are just a byproduct of it. And I can't take her to a hospital, since she's not human.

Wait. Basis first. I look, but she doesn't seem to have any wounds. Her clothes are a little dirty, and she looks bad, but that's about it. The damage must be internal. If there's damage to begin with. I have a few Noble Phantasm's with healing properties, and they should work even if her biology is different. I'm not talking about Avalon, of course. That's out of the question. Without Saber here, it would only work on me.

"What's your name?" the girl breathes out, putting her face even closer to mine. It was uncomfortable, but I would felt bad if I pushed her away.

"Emiya Shirou."

"Emiya Shirou, eh?" She repeats slowly, carefully, as if tasting it. It's really not a metaphor. When she finished saying it, she licks her lips in a way that makes me even more uncomfortable.

I freeze. She has just kissed me. It takes me a just an instant to process what had happened, despite of the weirdness of it. It would be great if this was a thank you kiss, but I'm not that naive. I grab her by the shoulders with all my strength, and… I felt something. A connection forming, like my contract with Tohsaka. At least, it felts like that. Only it is just there. Not energy is coming in or out from either of us.

A sudden burst of light. From her back wings of concentrated energy appear and spread, as if preparing to take flight. It dies down as suddenly as it came. The woman steps away from me, while I'm still trying to process the new developments and what it would meant for me. Her smile widens. Her pale complexion and deep flush are gone. Her heart beat had calmed down once that connection had formed, too. That I'm sure of. And her whole body seems to be irradiating life, even though my energy was going into her. I… I don't understand at all.

"Number ten, Uzume." Ten? So how many are they? Twenty, fifty, a hundred? Ah, whatever. There's no point in worrying about their numbers when I have no real data about it. "And I'm your Sekirei, forever and ever."

Oh, shit. I didn't even think about that since I was too worried about helping her, but on reflection, it's obvious. And that talk about winging, and about attacking humans being against the rules. I should have realized it sooner. Those things had been send in this city to find a human they could react to, and bind themselves to it or her as a familiar. For some reason. The reason from that arrangement in the Holy Grail war was clear, but for what could they need humans here is a completely mystery. It could have been an attempt to subjugate them under the guise of a tournament, which made the most sense, but now, after so many years of MBI raising in the field of medicine and technology? The pieces don't fit. I don't have enough pieces, to begin with.

I frown. My hands are still on her shoulders, so I push her away from me. She lets out a little gasp, but doesn't lose her balance. I want to punch her. She shoved her tongue down my throat and bound me to this fight, uncaring of what I thought. But something restrains me. Her actions. She didn't seem in control of herself when she did it. Maybe this 'reacting' thing is a biological reaction for the Sekirei.

She looks hurt. Because I pushed her away, not because it hurt. I don't know what to think about that, either.

"What's the meaning of this?" I demand, my hands still tightly clenched around the twin steel swords. I don't want to assume the worst, but what she had done couldn't be excused away.

"Ashikabi-sama," she winces. "Please, let me explain."

Ashikabi. I don't know what that word means, but my heart understands faster that my mind that she has just called me her Master. I notice that, for some reason, she seems confused. Like she thought I was going to accept her with open arms after she pulled such a stunt.

"Then do so."

"Eh, since you winged me, the director should be calling you soon to tell you about the plan."

"I don't care. I wasn't asking about that, but why you forced this… connection on me." My heart was still beating fast. For a moment, I had thought everything would go down the drain, just like that.

"I… I never," she bit her lip. "I never really thought about that. I just… I didn't think it would be this way. They told me about the process of reacting, about finding an Ashikabi, but that feeling… I just… I wasn't even thinking. I'm sorry."

"It's fine." It really was fine, as long as the bond didn't include any mental tampering. I would have tried to get myself involved with this even if she didn't do it so, really, all she did by shoving her tongue down my throat was forcing me into a more direct approach. It wasn't like it would spell defeat for me. "Now, tell me. What are the details of this connection?"

"I… Its a physical and spiritual connection. I have a… sense of your feelings." her words were carefully chosen, as if she didn't want to anger me. "Not that its hard to see how you're feeling right now, anyway." she added, bitterness clear in her voice. "Also, well. The physical connection is one sided. If you were to die, I would just… shut down. Literally. And if I died, you wouldn't. So don't worry about that."

That's horrible. It was one thing with Servants, which wouldn't really die, but this was different. It makes my stomatch churn. That they are not human doesn't meant that they should be treated like this... Well, maybe I'm assuming too much and this is natural to them, and there's no tampering involved. But I doubt it.

"I see. Then..." A ringing noise. Without a doubt, it was my phone. That surprises me. I didn't expect soon would be quite this soon. I take it off from my pocket, almost expecting that it would be Fuji-nee or even Tohsaka.

It isn't. Of course.

A man lab coat with outrageously messy, bright white hair appears on the small screen. I have only seen one picture of him, but once its enough. Without a doubt, he's Hiroto Minaka.

"Rejoice! You were chosen to be the partner of a Sekirei." Minaka says, his smile almost menacing. "The rules are simple. There are one hundred and eight Sekirei in this city. They will fight, fight, fight and fight! The Ashikabi of the last Sekirei will be given permission to ascend. Such a Ashikabi would hold the fate of the world in their hands!"

"How?"

"That's a secret!" he retorts, wagging his finger at me. Like I'm a petulant child. "Don't be so impatient, Emiya-kun."

Then, just like that, he cut off the call.

This… this man. He's a real eyesore. Who did he think he was? He was knowingly sending those things into the city, knowing what power they had, without even making an effort to train them and discipline them. Those people. All the people that had died, just like that, had been throw away like trash. And for what? I had an answer for that now. This man's sick amusement. Nothing more. Even if there was some hidden purpose behind all of this, there is no way I could forgive him.

I put the phone back in my pocket, and consider my options. Fight, fight, fight and fight. That's as good as telling me that, aside from not attacking humans, there aren't any rules in this thing. Of course, that doesn't meant they brother to enforce it. So one hundred and eight aliens let lose in this city without anything to restrain them…

This was too much.

"Ashikabi-sama." she says, hesitantly, and trails off. Her voice brings me out of my thoughts. I turn towards her. I let the images of the twin steel swords disappear.

"Do you have a name?" I ask the first thing that comes to my mind.

"Uzume. My name is Uzume." Apparently, they hadn't brothered to give them a surname, either.

Figures.

"Uzume, don't call me Ashikabi nor master or anything like that. Just call me Shirou." I remember saying something like to Saber, back then. It has been nine years already, but I still get nostalgic when thinking about her. Well. I guess it's natural. "Okay?"

"Okay." she says, and nods. She seems afraid of angering me, and that makes me felt bad. I couldn't never do that to her, but its not like she knows that. She has seen me kill that Sekirei without hesitation. Well, the other creature had grabbed her and made her getaway at some point while I was distracted with this girl. But with such a wound, and from Kanshou, she was as good as dead.

"...Do you have place to stay?" It seems unlikely she wouldn't have one, but I felt like I have to ask.

"Yes, of course." her face brightens. "I'll show you the way."

She turns and starts walking away, practically bouncing. Maybe she's just glad for the change of topic. I follow her.

* * *

 **Authors Note**

Not every chapter will have a choice at the end.


	5. Day I: Settling DownTeacher And Student

**{** _Settling Down_ **/** _Teacher And Student_ **}**

I put my brain on autopilot, and look inside myself. The same method of suppressing Archer's arm. Its not suppression, though. There's nothing to suppress for that connection. I just want to see what I can find about it, since she doesn't seem to know much about it. At least, its worth a try.

A few minutes. All I can say is something is that this connection is like a Master and Servant bond, but without the energy flowing from the Master to the Servant. When she kissed me, though, she had a sudden spike of energy even though not energy was taken from me. I don't really understand was going on, to be honest. Maybe it was so small an amount that I didn't even notice it. But such a big spike, from such little energy… An idea passes through my mind, but I immediately discard it. Once was enough.

Investigation isn't my forte, anyway, and I don't have all the pieces, so I can just fly blind in the dark and hope to grasp something. It isn't damaging me. My Prana output is normal, and I don't felt any internal damage. I'm sure of that as I can be, and that's all I need to know. I step beside Uzume. I get as close as I can to her, so we can talk discreetly. Might as well take advantage of the time.

"Could you give me a general overview about the Sekirei's capabilities, and explain your own?"

"Ah, yes." she whispers. "There are Sekirei who have only physical attacks, but their speed and strength are far beyond a normal human. Most of the Sekirei are elemental types. They can manipulate either water, fire, wind or earth to a great degree. There are some who have more esoteric powers. There's also the brain type's, but those are rare. There are like, uh, four or five. I think. Either way, not much more than that. Anyway. They have the power to access all electronic devices telepathically."

That sounded useful. Shin Tokyo might have some magi, and some of those could end up as Ashikabi, but the majority of my opponents would surely been normal people. I very much doubt that there could one hundred and eight magi here. So with a brain type Sekirei, it would been easy to investigate, collected date about the opponents, get their weakness and exploit them. It was… kind of scary, actually. I had to watch up for that kind of thing. Some scrupulous person could use it and do awful things. If Uzume was one, it would be easier to end this ridiculous fight. But I doubted it.

"I have telekinesis. I can use in on everything, but silk is easier for me. I use a veil to cover myself, increase the range of my attacks and piercing or restricting the opponent. Of course, is not that good of ability against Sekirei with elemental manipulation. But I have my ways to dealt with that small disadvantage. So don't worry. I'm strong. I definitively won't let any harm come to you."

"I don't need protection, but thanks." it is weird that I felt a sense of solidarity between us, when we didn't know each other twenty minutes ago? Well, I suppose I will always be that kind of person.

"Uh, Ashi… Shirou. What are you, exactly?" Uzume mutters. "I mean, you don't have to answer, but..."

"I'm a human."

"Human? I never saw a human do something like that."

"That's because I'm a magus."

She laughs. I should been at least a little bit annoyed, but I just find myself thinking that her laugh is pleasant.

"You aren't normal, either. Is it so hard to believe?"

"You're serious." it wasn't a question. "So what can you do?"

For a moment, I consider no answering. My first thought, though I know its ridiculous, is that she's fishing for information.

"Projection and Reinforcement. Reinforcement is just what it sounds like; taking something and reinforcing is natural properties. A sword becomes sharper, stronger. As for Projection, is creating something out of internal energy, what we call prana." I don't want to mention my Reality Marble here, or Archer's arm. "And that's it."

"Can I ask you another question?"

"Sure."

"That shroud of your left arm… what happened to you?"

"Its complicated. Its not that I don't want to tell you, is just… complicated. Maybe when we reach your place, and we have time to explain various things to you. But not here."

"Okay."

* * *

Uzume stops. I stop too, and take a look. A traditional Japanese style house. It looks nice. I could say it reminds me of my home, but its a lie. I just felt like that because I haven't see my house for nine years, and I haven't been living in Japanese style house, either. I follow her inside. From the corner of my eye, I read the name plate above the main door. Izumo Inn.

I take off my shoes. By that time, Uzume has already barrelled inside, barefooted.

"Miya! I'm home!"

I heard light footsteps from the next room. A purple haired woman comes out, washing her hands with a towels. My body tenses. I can tell. I can tell immediately from her posture and her movements that she's used to battle, no matter how placid her smile is. And I can sense that she isn't human.

"Welcome back, Uzume." the woman replies, her voice light.

"Uzume." she turns towards me, clearly confused. "Who is this woman? Do you really think that is wise to live under the same roof with somebody who could turn on you at any time?"

"What do you meant?" she says, like the idea is utterly inconceivable for her. Maybe… maybe she doesn't know.

"She's a Sekirei, too. I think the answer to your question is pretty clear."

"There's no violence in Izumo Inn." Miya says. "As for me being a Sekirei, you don't need to worry about it. I'm not involve in that madman's game."

"It's true, Shirou." Uzume says.

"Are there more Sekirei here?"

"One." Miya says.

One. One was more that enough to deem this place unsafe. Sure, Uzume and her or him could coexist once, since she didn't have Ashikabi, but to this other tenant, not that Uzume is in the game she would only be competition. Its ridiculous to even consider staying here. Though, Miya did say that there's no violence in Izumo House. I know that she has the power and the skill necessary to enforce that rule, so maybe, its not so bad. Maybe.

"Shirou." Uzume says, looking pleadingly at me.

I let out a breath.

"Fine. We stay."

I sure hope I don't come to regret that decision.

* * *

It really is a nice place. Having to live under the same roof as an experienced killer like Miya is a little unnerving, but that doesn't change that fact. I can smell something cooking. Together, we step into the living room. From here, I can see the kitchen. Its nice. That matters more to me that how the place is, to be honest. Miya goes straight into the kitchen. We and Uzume sit down on the desk. We're the only ones there. The other tenant must be out, or something.

Now that the whole mess is over, I take my time to think over my actions, the results and what I should do. I killed one of those creatures, but the other one got away, taking the body of the other wit her. She isn't dangerous. They were pitiful fighters before, and now that she's alone she won't be a danger to me at all. To be honest, even if the two of them had escaped a live beating them would have been a trifling matter. That one creature had put me against the ropes, but I would have killed her with Kanshou even if Uzume hadn't intervened. I have nothing to fear from those two.

If the remaining one allied herself with another team, then maybe I would be in trouble. Maybe. But there wasn't any use in worrying about what I couldn't change and, in any case, it isn't like I would have to face them alone. Uzume could at least serve as back up. So at least the mess is covered.

I take off my phone. There's only one thing to do. This is too big of a mess to handle by myself.

"What are you doing, Shirou?" Uzume asks.

"Calling a friend." I answer, and put the phone to my ear. I insisted to her that she get herself a phone, and she ended up buying one. A cheap thing like mine, but it served its purpose.

"Shirou, what is it?"

"I need your help."

"… Okay. What have you gotten caught it this time?"

"Its complicated to explain, and it would been better if I show you, so lets just say that the deaths are really murders and that its far more complicated than that."

"Fine." she sighs. "You only give me headaches. What a drag of an apprentice I have."

"I have a terrible teacher, too. Man." I let out a breath. "You really know how to ride a guy."

Silence.

"Tohsaka?"

"W-watch what you're saying, you idiot!" she sounds more embarrassed that angry. I bet that if I was in front of her now, I would see her face was as red as her favourite shirt. I don't really get why… oh. Oh.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"I-I know!" geez, she's really touchy about this. I don't want to think so, but maybe she's still hang up over what we had to do to beat Gilgamesh. Does she think I'm going to assault her or something? Its not like I'm a beast. "Watch what you're saying, is all! Have some common sense!"

"I thought you had already given up of getting me some common sense, Tohsaka." I can't help it. Its just… so fun to tease her. Talking idly like this, about meaninglessly things… it almost makes me forget what is brewing in this city. "You're really persistent."

"Idiot." she says, her voice. "Like I would give up on that."

"I guess so."

"A-anyway. I be there as soon as I can, Shirou. Just tell me where are you staying?"

"Uh..." I don't really remember the street this is in. "Well, I'm staying at the Izumo Inn. No idea where it is, exactly, but you should be able to find it."

"Yeah. Don't worry, that's good enough. Until then, Shirou."

"Bye, Tohsaka."

She hangs up first. I close the phone, and put it back on my pocket. I look at Uzume from the corner of my eye. I already suspected so, but she was looking at me through all the phone call. Her expression is… strange. I don't see any reason for her to look so sad.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." a small pause. "Who is she?"

"I already said it."

"… Do you love her?"

"She's my friend." I say, as it answers everything. Because it does.

"I see." her face relaxes, as if she's relieved.

Man, these Sekirei are really strange.


	6. Day One: To Battle

**{** _To Battle_ _ **}**_

I didn't sleep very well that night. Didn't have bad dreams, or anything, but I did woke up twice. I couldn't help it. I kept thinking about the recent situation, the Sekirei plan. It really was far too much for me to handle by myself, and I was worried that we couldn't handle it all. The Sekirei were nothing compared to Servants, but the scale of the Sekirei Plan was on another level compared to the Grail Wars.

One hundred and eight of those things, fighting so brazenly in this city. Even though Servants were more dangerous, sheer numbers made the Sekirei an unprecedented menace. And all those people that had died already, those killings. How many more would have to die before this plan of that bastard was over? I would try to minimize the damage, end it as early as possible, but still, there would be some damage. I couldn't prevent more deaths, no matter how hard I tried. I couldn't control so many of those things, and even with Rin by my side it wouldn't go any better.

Killing Hiroto Minaka could work. Could. Assuming that there wasn't anybody able or willing to take on his mantle, which was too big of assumption. No matter where I went, there would be always somebody who was willing to take advantage of a chance to take power. That was undeniable. At least, it didn't seem that the Sekirei were out control. It left a bitter taste in my mouth, but the truth was the deaths weren't as many as they could have be.

So no. I wouldn't take such a drastic course of action, not until I was sure it would be worth it. Patrolling, during the day and night, trying to prevent people for being hurt or killed and aiming to end this tournament as soon as possible. That was as all I could do at this point. I didn't like it all, but I had to admit it.

 _There's nothing at the end of helping people._

Archer's words resound in my mind. I grimace. Every word he had said had be engraved into my mind. He had brought to light uncomfortable thoughts, and made me face the reality of my own self. He was bitter, and his self hatred was so potent he had be aiming to erase himself from existence, but even now, none of us could that there was some bitter truth about the things he had said.

… But what of it? I can't accept those words. That there's no justice in this world, and that the only reality is that people die meaninglessly. Maybe is hypocrisy, but the one who said so followed through on his hypocrisy. So I can kept on going. First of all, there's no room for doubt in Emiya Shirou. I shall make up my mind in the hill of swords.

* * *

After breakfast, I take Uzume to the courtyard. I sit down, and she sits down besides me. For a moment, that scenery closes in my mind, like a wandering ghost. Did it turn my smile bitter? Uzume's expression seems worried.

"Tell me the story your species, and about all the Sekirei you know." I say. This is the most important thing. Knowing the enemy.

Her expression didn't change as she nodded.

She told me about it. About the Sekirei ship that had landed on earth, and that MBI had discovered. They raised the Sekirei inside, and used reverse engineered the technology of the ship, as I had suspected. That was the reason they had rose so quickly in the medical and technological fields, and that they were a household name when not too long ago nobody knew who they were.

She also told me that the Sekirei were adjusted by MBI's scientists so they could live with humans for the sake of the Plan, which… it wasn't unexpected. It merely confirmed the doubts that grew in me when she told me about the connection. Not to mention, that they could connect with another species is not natural at all. So there had to be some tampering involved.

Uzume filled me in on what she knew of the story of MBI, post their raise. About the first Disciplinary Squad, and their struggles to protect the life they had come to know from those who wanted to take them away. MBI at least let them some measure of freedom, but it was clear what would happen to them under other hands. So they fought. They killed, killed and killed until the enemy didn't want to risk trying anymore.

After that, she told me about all the Sekirei she knew. Their capabilities, speciality, their weakness. All in all, it took a few hours. She didn't have information of every Sekirei, but everything she told me, even the story of MBI, had his uses. And besides, even the detailed information about a few dozen Sekirei was better that what I had before. Which was nothing.

I stand up.

"We're going on patrol." I say, while looking at her.

* * *

To be honest, all I could think when we were on patrol through the streets, looking for any sings of other Sekirei or danger, was that Uzume wasn't Saber. We weren't as close as we could have be, but still, I was fond of Saber. She was my sword, the one who protected me even after she had be released for her oath. This reminded me of the times I spend with her, so I could only think about that she wasn't here.

No, don't get me wrong. I have accepted that Saber is gone, that it was for the best that she disappeared when destroying the Grail and that there was nothing me or anybody could have done about it. Arturia didn't belong to this time. But still, it wasn't something one could easily shake off. I'm happy she finally is resting, like she deserves. She was good people. But I wished I could have spend more time with her. That's all.

In the end, we didn't find anything worthwhile, and we returned to Izumo Inn at night empty handed.

* * *

There was a new tenant, and with had come another Sekirei. Four Sekirei and two Ashikabi's, all in all, staying under the same roof. It was clearly a recipe for disaster. I should have gone away then, or at least planned to get another place as early as possible, but honestly, I didn't feel like leaving. Still don't, even though I'm finding sleeping hard again.

I told Uzume it was fine, and even with one more Sekirei, Miya had the power to kept her in line, too. That much didn't even need to be said. So I don't really feel like going away. We just have to be more cautious. Besides, this an opportunity to gather information, too. Staying here was better, no matter how I thought about it.

I close me eyes.

I heard my phone vibrate, and I open them again. Tohsaka? Maybe. I did urge her to get a phone, just in case. I open my phone, and open the latest message. I read it. Uh. This was something I wasn't expecting, but it was an opportunity, too. I closed the phone, put it back on my pocket, and when to Uzume's room.

I opened the door, turned on the lights and when to her bedside. I grabbed her shoulder, and shook her awake. She looked up towards me, still half sleep. And blushed. Did she think I…? Ah, no. That couldn't be.

"Get up, dress and come with me. I explain on the way." I say, and get out of the room to give her some space.

"Fine."

* * *

I heard the door opening, and turn around. It takes me a second to recognize her, though that's only because I saw her before. She as covered herself with silken threads, to protect her identity. She had told me that while she was telekinetic, she channelled her powers more easily to that material, but I never expected something quite like this.

"Good thinking." I compliment her earnestly. She blushes again, and nods. That's… really strange. I can't really figure what's going on with her. She seems really different when talking to me, that when interacting with Miya and even the others. Maybe she doesn't like me, or something. Maybe she just respects me too much as her Master, her Ashikabi, to be as easy going as she usually is. I don't know.

We got out, and took to the rooftops. She got close to me to help me, but I showed her I didn't need it. I jumped, covering ten meters up in an instant and landed on the roof. She followed after me. I headed towards the botanical gardens, and she followed after me without issue. As we went, I told her about the contents of the message. She was rightly disgusted by it.

We entered the botanical gardens. It really looked like a jungle, more that anything else. We headed into the expansive wilderness without an issue, pass the soldiers from MBI. Inside, I stopped to consider my options. First come, first served. A challenge. From the contents of the message, it was easy to deduce that it meant that more that one Sekirei could contract with a single Ashikabi.

It made sense. Even in the War, a Master could take more that one Servant. Nobody did so for various reasons, mostly because it was suicidal for a normal magus. But in here, there was no strain, so they would have as many as they wanted. Teams would come rushing in, simply because the Sekirei the game master had put as a price should be strong.

With that in mind, I…

 **1.** Go in search of the Sekirei with Uzume.

 **2**. Split off to cover more ground.


	7. Day One: Hidden

**[** _Hidden_ **]**

No, it would be better for us to investigate this forest together. Splitting off to cover more ground would make it possible for us to find that Sekirei faster, but there were more things to consider. I'm fairly sure I can handle any Sekirei in single combat, even Miya, but that's exactly it. Single combat. The advantage of numbers might get me killed.

Not to mention, it isn't like is a good idea to go all out against these things. I couldn't reveal what I was capable of so easily. I would fight, like yesterday, but a fight against various Sekirei's would force me to show my Projection magic and, well. That could end badly. It was better to not take the risk. Didn't meant I would relay on Uzume, but I couldn't reveal the extend of my magic. And, so as long as we got to the Sekirei before the rest, it would be fine.

"Let's go." I say, and start running forward.

She immediately follows after me. I start to feel, something. In my head. An image of a clearing, and a young child trembling in the cold darkness, begging for help for her big brother. That voice resounds in my head as clearly as she had be here, right besides me. I abruptly stop, and Uzume stops, too.

"Did you heard that?" I ask, just in case.

"… No. What's going on?"

"Is just… I saw a clearing I have never see before, and a young child calling my name and, well. That vision was clearly not natural, so I was wondering if you knew something about this."

"She's surely reacting to you, then."

"Uh. The child…? I see. So he even involves children." my tone was calm, but I was anything but. My hands clench into fists. I could give anything to have him here, right in front of me. So I can kill him. I push that feeling away. I have thought it through before. It wasn't a good idea then, and this didn't change that.

"Number hundred and eight, Kusano, is the only child, but yes. Minaka could and would do anything for the sake of his game. He just doesn't care. The only thing that matters to him its is own entertainment. Why would he have set this whole thing up, otherwise?" I could heard it in her voice. She sounded weary, like she had be expecting even something like this.

I wince. She's being forced to fight and kill members of her own species. And here, in this world, they were only one hundred and eight. Bad enough that they didn't have a way to return where they belonged, but this, too. It makes me mad. He as the technology, the standing, the money, giving them a vague promise that there would be hope for them at the end of the road. All of this, just for the sake of having them hurt each other, kill each other. If he wanted to get rid of the Sekirei to ensure that nobody else got his hands of them, he could have just done so. But that didn't make sense, either. Because without the Sekirei as defence, he would be attacked, his technology stolen and MBI would crumble. So he was staging a game. That's was all there was to the Sekirei Plan. It made me sick.

I close my eyes. I take a deep breath, and release it in a few seconds. I can't act so rashly. I need to cool my head, think things through. The Fifth War had taught me that things never were what they seemed, that one needed to be careful about everything and, most of all, that the consequences of one single mistake could redefine your life. I look down at my left arm, wrapped in the shroud. Then I look back up, into the darkness of the forest.

"Let's go." I run.

* * *

We come to a clearing, the same one I saw in my vision. The forest was rather big, and we didn't have any indication beyond that she was somewhere inside, but the visions guided me to this point. I see Kusano wrapped into a ball, back against a three and her head buried between her knees. There's a woman holding a scythe, right in front of her. Even from this distance, I can see it. She clearly enjoys the child's distress and fear. The gritting of my teeth.

"Trace… On." I create the weapon. The symbol Archer wielded from all his life, twin steel blades. I charge Kanshou to the brink with magical energy, and I throw it. Aiming for the enemy's neck. The black disk cuts through the darkness on the forest at a speed that makes it a blur even to my eyes. She dodges it, narrowly. Kanshou, seeking Bakuya, changes direction and buries itself on the Sekirei's back. She drops to her hands and knees with a startled scream. She narrowly avoids dropping her scythe, too. I see. She is a sadistic bitch, but in the end, she wasn't all that experienced in combat.

I don't lose even a single second. I cross the ten meters of distance in a second, project another Kanshou in my free hand along the way, and swing both swords to cut through her neck. She hastily raises her scythe, the sword still buried in her back. I press my advantage, not leaving her a chance to take the sword off, let alone fight back. She can only defend against my onslaught of attacks, and she's losing ground, fast. No matter how much her psyche is beyond humans, is all worthless when she can't hold her own in a fight. And to add, she panics. She even begs me to spare her, thinking that she would get me to drop my guard. Or maybe she had be reduced to beg her enemy-the same one who as see her scaring a kid for life- to spare her life.

In less that I minute I disarm her, bring her to her knees again and stab her through the chest with both of my blades, ending her life. I bring them back. I let the corpse drop to the ground with the sword still on her back, and I vanish the swords. Including, of course, the one at her back. I wouldn't want to scare her off. Is a… potentially risky move, but she did lead me here. I doubt she would attack me, or something. And even if those thoughts of mine aren't just paranoia, all I can think about is that I have a traumatized kid, shaking and crying right in front of me. So of course I'm going to disarm. I approach her, and knell in front of her.

"Hey," I say, smiling. "Don't worry. That woman is gone, and I'm here. Everything's going to be okay."

She looks up at me. Tears are shining in her clear, green eyes.

"Onii-chan." she hugs me, and I hug her back, without saying a word. Then, she tries to kiss me. I push her away. Gently, of course. I didn't want to make her cry, but involving her in this conflict would be much worse for her. Besides, she is just a child. A scared child, reaching out for comfort. She doesn't fully understand the meaning of what she had be a human to do, she couldn't. "Don't… Don't you want me as your Sekirei, Onii-chan?"

"I want you to be happy." I answer, instead. Because that's what I felt from the bottom of my heart. "And its better for you if you don't."

"Shirou." Uzume says. "I'm against it, too… but what will you do, then? You can't kept protecting her forever. If Minaka as added her to the game, things won't progress unless she's winged. And she has already reacted to you. She won't be okay with anybody else."

"That's… That's true, but..." I bit my lip. I could easily see Minaka issuing another one of his challenge, if once the rest of the Sekirei were winged and Kasuno still wasn't, to see who would take her off my hands and wing her. And giving a special price as incentive. "I don't care. I'll protect her. I can't just stand around and let things go as he wishes."

I put Kusano down. The clear sound of the whirling blades of a helicopter. I look up, up. A helicopter lands on the clearing, and then comes to a stop. The doors open. From it comes out a few armed soldiers of MBI and a white haired woman with a white lab coat and a scar on left eye. It looks recent, too.

"Why are they here, Uzume?"

"When a Sekirei is defeated, MBI goes to recover the body."

Oh, well. That made sense. It as not really crossed my mind. Which is a bit embarrassing. I watch the soldiers carry the Sekirei's corpse on a stretcher to inside the helicopter. The woman in the lab-coat approaches us. I swear, if she's here to tell me congratulations for getting to Kusano first, I don't know what I will do. She stops in front of us, gives a sideways glance at Kusano, then looks back at me. She looks… no, not expressionless, but almost bored. She as not said anything yet, but her antipathy is infuriating, anyway.

"You didn't wing her."

"No, I didn't and I won't. I'm not the sort of person who would take advantage of a child."

"Good." she nods. "Then hand her over."

"...So you didn't release her on purpose?"

"No. That Sekirei over there, Yomi, attacked us while I was showing her the outside world for the first time. So, because we were attacked, her powers went out control, creating this forest in an effort to protect herself. When informed of the attack, Minaka took advantage of the accident for his amusement, but it wasn't planned for her to enter the fight."

"So you lot are not completely unscrupulous. Good to know."

"But Tamaki-nee-chan, he's..."

"You reacted." she lets out a breath. "That's… troublesome. Taking you away now would make me felt like I'm the bad guy."

"Why? Why does her reacting to me change anything? She's a child."

"Yeah, that's the whole issue. She's a child who as found the person she loves the most."

"Wait, what? What do you meant?"

"Uzume," Takami clicks her tongue. As she recognized her, or does she know because they have some form of tracking them? Or both? "Didn't you tell him anything, or what? Did you just shove your tongue down his throat and left it at that?"

"That's," she blushes, and fidgets in place. "K-kind of..."

I…

"Look," Takami says. "Whoever you are. A winging is not just an admission ticket to this plan. To a Sekirei, their Ashikabi is their love one. The person most important to them. The person they would gladly give anything for."

I was angry. But not because Uzume didn't tell me, though I really should be angry at that, too. I was angry because if this was the truth, then Minaka adding Kusano to the Sekirei plan on a whim, essentially meant letting her be abused by some sicko if he got lucky enough to get her first. Also.

"All right, what did you do to them?"

"Pardon?"

"What do you do to them? You expect me to believe that they naturally mate with members not of the same species? Give me a break."

"We don't know, for sure. There are theories that Sekirei mixed in the distant past with humans, and that all potential Ashikabi's have Sekirei genes. That's the most prevalent theory but, either way, we can't really prove it. In any case, we didn't do anything to them. Next time, don't jump to such self righteous conclusions, boy. Think a little."

"Perhaps I did jump the gun. Perhaps I didn't." I acquiesced. "I couldn't know, but we both fully know what I was asking wasn't just that. Though, of course, you won't give me that answer. Next time, don't paint yourself as the victim of my misjudgement, when you're just as guilty as the rest of MBI for this mess."

Takami grimaces, but doesn't say anything. I turn my back on her. I don't have any interest in sticking around to see what she has to say, or even if she's going to say anything. Leaving Kusano with those people left a bad taste in my mouth, but it makes sense. For one, I'm sure that they won't kill her. And leaving her with them would be less dangerous for her that staying with me. Is simply how things are.

"Shirou," Uzume weakly calls out to me.

"We will talk about that later." I say, and start running.


End file.
